Biomaterial Database

Expression of functionality of alpha-chymotrypsin. Effects of guanidine hydrochloride and urea in the onset of denaturation. 1978

L S Hibbard, and A Tulinsky

Crystals of alpha-chymotrypsin (CHT) at equilibrium in solutions of 2.0 M guanidine hydrochloride and 3.0 M urea at pH 3.6 were prepared, three-dimensional X-ray intensities were measured, and difference electron-density maps were calculated and examined. The guanidine hydrochloride derivative displayed changes occurring exclusively on the surface of the protein. The difference peaks represented mostly small changes in various protein surface groups and in the adjacent solvent regions, and some displayed convincing evidence of binding of the guanidinium ion to the protein. The urea difference map likewise showed that changes had occurred on the surface of the protein, but also that numerous changes in the structure occurred in the hydrophobic interior of the CHT molecule. Further, the urea difference map contained evidence for two kinds of interactions of urea with protein groups. There are examples of bound urea either causing or accompanying structural changes and examples of urea binding with no accompanying changes to the protein. Examples of both kinds of binding were observed in both the surface regions and in the hydrophobic interior of the molecule. From an examination of these two derivatives, it is clear that guanidine hydrochloride and urea unfold proteins by different mechanisms.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011485	Protein Binding	The process in which substances, either endogenous or exogenous, bind to proteins, peptides, enzymes, protein precursors, or allied compounds. Specific protein-binding measures are often used as assays in diagnostic assessments.	Plasma Protein Binding Capacity,Binding, Protein
D011487	Protein Conformation	The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain).	Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D011489	Protein Denaturation	Disruption of the non-covalent bonds and/or disulfide bonds responsible for maintaining the three-dimensional shape and activity of the native protein.	Denaturation, Protein,Denaturations, Protein,Protein Denaturations
D002918	Chymotrypsin	A serine endopeptidase secreted by the pancreas as its zymogen, CHYMOTRYPSINOGEN and carried in the pancreatic juice to the duodenum where it is activated by TRYPSIN. It selectively cleaves aromatic amino acids on the carboxyl side.	Alpha-Chymotrypsin Choay,Alphacutanée,Avazyme
D006146	Guanidines	A family of iminourea derivatives. The parent compound has been isolated from mushrooms, corn germ, rice hulls, mussels, earthworms, and turnip juice. Derivatives may have antiviral and antifungal properties.
D014508	Urea	A compound formed in the liver from ammonia produced by the deamination of amino acids. It is the principal end product of protein catabolism and constitutes about one half of the total urinary solids.	Basodexan,Carbamide,Carmol
D014961	X-Ray Diffraction	The scattering of x-rays by matter, especially crystals, with accompanying variation in intensity due to interference effects. Analysis of the crystal structure of materials is performed by passing x-rays through them and registering the diffraction image of the rays (CRYSTALLOGRAPHY, X-RAY). (From McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms, 4th ed)	Xray Diffraction,Diffraction, X-Ray,Diffraction, Xray,Diffractions, X-Ray,Diffractions, Xray,X Ray Diffraction,X-Ray Diffractions,Xray Diffractions